Get all 26 Bill Ludwig releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of 100 Songs, Jenny, Rhymes With Banjo, Dark And Troubled Ways, Sinker Line And Hook, Bellbottom Overalls, Ode To A Chinese Spy Balloon, Songs Of Village Charm, and 18 more.
1. |
Making Hay
04:17
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I got born, and I'll get buried
In between, I make my way
When there's rain, I'll lay my head here
When the sun does shine, get making hay
Work the plow, load the ferry
Turn the land, height of day
Pray no rain, pray no gusting
While the sun shines high, we're making hay
(Chorus)
Strong of back and strong of hand we
Form up tedding piles, dry and peel
Roll and bale up when the dew drops melt away
With the summer sun on high for making hay
When the sky is grey and dreary
Falling snow on barren fields
Harvest love with you my dearest
The rolling hay, our seasons yield
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2. |
Jenny
02:47
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Knee high to a buttercup
Shines with morning dew
Sits high on her snail shell mount
Rides the whole day through
(Chorus)
Jenny don't lie
Jenny don't run
Jenny's best friends with a garden gnome
Jenny's got a toadstool house in her dreams
Got lost in the wild flowers
While searching for some fun
All day climbs the tallest tree
Wave 'hello' to the sun
(Chorus)
(Bridge)
She naps on a mossy branch
Floating down the stream
The white blossoms lilting down
Beneath the willow tree
At night Jenny settles in
Tuckered from her day
Adventuring far and wide
To find new spots to play
(Chorus)
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3. |
You Done OK
03:08
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Forlorn and lonely
Ain't no way to live
Scarred hands all empty
Still something left to give
Hold someone's burden
Carry it for them
Moving someone forward
Will move you too a bit
When it all seems hopeless
It seems you just can't win
Everywhere you look there's something
You can't unsee again
The sadness overwhelming
Seems like you can't overcome
But give a little kindness 'way
You'll find that you're not done
Not done, no way
One small thing
Two small things
Three things gave away
Years from now when looking back
The story those things say
Is you done OK
Time will tell the story, baby
Oh, honey time will tell
All those tiny things you done
So many things done well
You done OK
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4. |
Dark And Troubled Ways
02:45
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The sun high up above there
Weighs down on a man
A man with dark and troubled ways
Her sun shine bright and holy
Falls upon that man
Wrapped up in his darkness tighter still
Her light provides no comfort
Or lightens up his load
The man has dark and troubled ways
But she keeps on a-shining
All the livelong day
Showers warmth upon the flowered hill
(Chorus)
At night the moon comes rising
And he rise right along
Lifted by it’s light upon his brow
The load he carries lifted
On moonlight wings above
Gaze upon his troubles down below
______
With morn' comes curtain lifted
The light a-creeping through
Heavy as a stone upon his back
He spends his days a-dragging
His dark and troubled ways
Beneath a perfect Springtime sunny day
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5. |
Rise
04:23
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Let the clouds come, they can't stop the sun from shining
Once we rise above it all
Let the waves roll in, we'll keep ourselves from drowning
Once we rise above it all
Let the ground a-quake, can't nothing fall upon us
Once we rise above it all
Let the rain pour down, won't set the mud a-sliding
Once we rise above it all
(chorus)
Arms adjoined, hearts aligned
All boats lift in the rising tide
Life's too short for just getting by
When they go low, we get high
Let the traffic slow, we'll find our way around it
Once we rise above it all
Let the wildfires grow, it's smoke it won't surround us
Once we rise above it all
(chorus)
Arms adjoined, hearts aligned
All boats lift in the rising tide
Life's too short for just getting by
When they go low, we get high
(bridge)
Every day it seems there's nothing else to do
'cept find a place to run and hide
But where there's numbers there is strength someone once said
And united we can climb
Let the walls fall down, together we'll rebuild them
Once we rise above it all
Let the strangers come, we'll soon count them among us
Once we rise above it all
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6. |
Bellbottom Overalls
03:17
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A small town flower in the grain feed store
A moonbeam ‘tween the rows
Haul down sacks for the tractor jocks
Load the trailer beds they tow
The boys light up when she smiles warm
But she waves them all away
And the way she sets her old cowhide hat
Makes the lookin’ girls a-sway
(bridge)
Some say she don’t no need no one to make her feel a-live
Some think she holds a secret tight
But there’s one thing that all agree, whatever side they fall
You’ll find no answers in her style
The blossoms in the new day sun
Rise to greet the dawn
And she’s cross-legged on a prairie stone
So content to be all alone
(bridge)
Some say she don’t no need no one to make her feel a-live
Some think she holds a secret tight
But there’s one thing that all agree, whatever side they fall
You’ll find no answers in her style
(chorus)
She wears…
Bell-bottom overalls
Hippie in the Spring, backwoods in the Fall
She keep the whole town guessing at the Solstice Ball
She gonna do another, do another twirl ‘round the old Grange hall
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7. |
A Night In Wichita
05:10
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The car is dead
The tall man said
We’ll find another way to Tulsa
The sky’s not blue
But what’s it to you
The road’s brought nothing good, just torture
My wristband sags
While I grip my bags
The red dust blows into my portion
Painted red
I hold my head
We never should have left La Fortune
(chorus)
“It’ll be so fun!”, she said
“We can make good time, I swear”
Just hours later we broke down
Our phones, no bars
Just a thumb and passing cars
Dancing shoes on endless road
My ringing ears
Frustrated tears
The jokes all ended round one thirty
Spent my last dime
On a liquid good time
And now I’m walking, cold and dirty
(chorus)
“It’ll be so fun!”, she said
“We’ll be home ‘fore dawn, I swear”
Then the car slowed to a crawl
Dashboard lights
Like a Christmas tree at night
Without the joy, no none at all
(outro)
The car is dead he said
And I just want to be home
The sun is too big to ignore
Oklahoma’s like
A million miles away
I don’t think we'll be friends no more
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8. |
Sinker Line And Hook
04:40
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Oh there’s a one, two, four, six, eight kids riding in the back of this pick-up truck
They got a-fishing poles, a big yellow dog. They all a-bouncing when the road gets rough
And the sun keeps on a-poking tryna make or break the day
And the birds go flutter while we a-hootin and a holler as they slowly make their way
There’s an oversized cup of the strongest joe, making clear eyes behind the wheel
They been a-waiting all week to take a ride to find, a piece of heaven with a rod and reel
And there’s old Hank crooning out the speakers like he’s a-crying out to god
That man had a-something you can’t put to words but he could make a strong man sob
And with a sinker, line and hook
On down the backwoods line they took
They keep on a-rolling
And that yellow dog he’s a-howling as the passing cars go by
His tail just wagging up a storm like a longhorn swatting flies
He’ll be up to ears in water ‘fore the sun breaks ‘bove the trees
And he’ll run the fields chasing butterflies and a-snapping at the bees
There’s Hank still singing them honky-tonk blues, they almost got to where they get
There’s a hilltop hidden in the dusty fog that the day ain’t burned off yet
And if we stopped and took a listen, you could hear the river roar
Over rocks been worn by years of rolling waters long before
And with a sinker, line and hook
On down the backwoods line they took
They keep on a-rolling
(bridge)
Oh a truck bed ride to the river run side, is like paradise on Earth
Trade worms in a can for fishes sizzlin’ in a pan, surest way to cure all hurts
Oh, yearning for the simple life ain’t never done no harm
And a cool off breeze while sittin' 'neath a shade tree will take the weight right off your arms
There's one, two, four, six, eight kids sliding out the back of this pick-up truck
Into the purtiest spot in this whole damn world, I don't deserve this kind of luck
That puts a guy like me in a place like this when the day can't do no wrong
Put my feet up high, drop a fishing line until the time moves us along
And with a sinker, line and hook
The thieving trout my worm done took
We keep on a-rolling
And with a sinker, line and hook
On down the backwoods line we took
I keep on a-rolling
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9. |
Anabelle
03:00
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Anabelle, she fell in love with you
Head ‘bove heels, she’s sure her love is true
And when she peers into your eyes
She sails a sea of blue
Anabelle, she's so in love with you
Oh, you're the latest weakness
She will make feel strong
But you are just an arrow in her bow
Cause once she builds you up so tall
She'll shoot you at the moon
And die inside as she watches you fall
Anabelle, she'll build you tall
Anabelle, she'll watch you fall
Anabelle, she'll leave you wanting more
Profess her love then guide you to the floor
And just when you think all is well
She'll slip out of the door
Anabelle, you're left there needing more
Anabelle, still needing more
Anabelle, left on the floor
Anabelle, so high you'll soar
Anabelle, slip out the door
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10. |
The Valley
04:23
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Darkness fallen, 'cross the valley
Hides the secrets, down below
Treetop slumber, from daylight blinding
Sight averted, yet to know
Every morning, face the valley
Unknown challenge, yet to go
Plan the journey's unexpected
Surely coming, 'long the road
Day-by-day we travel one side to the next
And face each hurdle as it comes
Up the far side find a moment there to rest
Start again with morning's sun
When I'm weary, heart's a-broken
No strength remaining, for one more step
The spirit calling, spirit carries
Through the valley, of evil's web
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11. |
Together We Sing
02:37
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A worry comes, how little it’ll be
On that sunny morning
We’ll share the load, and how little it’ll be
When together we sing loudly
Down the town the people gonna stroll
On about their chories
Side-by side they a-waiting in the lines
Pass the time a-telling stories
A worry comes, how little it’ll be
On that sunny morning
We’ll share the load, and how little it’ll be
When together we sing proudly
(bridge)
Tell about our troubles
Tell about our woes
Tell about the doctor who counts our toes
Every word a burden left ‘long the road
No longer need to carry
A worry comes, how little it’ll be
On that sunny morning
We’ll share the load, and how little it’ll be
When together we sing boldly
(inst break)
(bridge)
Sharing all our troubles
Sharing all our woes
Talk the bill collector who wants what’s owed
Every word a burden left ‘long the road
No longer need to carry
A worry comes, how little it’ll be
On that sunny morning
We’ll share the load, and how little it’ll be
When together we sing loudly
A worry comes, how little it’ll be
On that sunny morning
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12. |
Miracles
03:20
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A mother gazes down upon her daughter standing there
The daughter's thumb a-scrolling up the screen
A school bus running late, her morning breath as she exhales
Makes a cloud that hangs in the cold air
A mother thinks about when she was just her daughter's age
Some say things were simpler 'fore the screens
Though there wasn't much a-simple 'bout the years she was a child
She recalls her view from smaller eyes
___
And she takes her daughter's hand
Daughter looks up from the screen to the land
When mother says there's miracles in every grain of sand
Every cloud that shades where they stand
___
A mother bends her knee and puts her hand upon the earth
Plucks a blade of grass up from the ground
A daughter sees a miracle of life despite the cold
Every lawn a field of miracles
___
And the bus it pulls up high
And a daughter's eyes they meet mother's smile
And with a kiss upon her head she gives a hug and says goodbye
And a mother waves as they drive
And for a moment, maybe two a daughter watches worlds pass by
Miracles to fill up her eyes
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13. |
Carmichael
05:22
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They tell of days when sunshine didn't end
No clouds there in the sky, or river bends
The fields all turned to dusty holes
And most packed up and went
While those who stayed behind, they mostly wept
Then one day storm clouds gathered to the West
A growing grey horizon slowly crept
And drops started a-falling and the dust started to wet
And those who stayed behind, they mostly wept
The sky turned black and thankful cheers they turned to cries
No grasses and no trees to slow the roll
The waters came so fast the people they just stood
Their mouths a-hanging open to the sight
It came a-flowing up the road
It came a-rolling 'cross the fields
It washed away all the memorials we built
To honor those the dry times chased away
(inst)
The flood it dug a river through the town
The people built up walls to keep it down
The water kept a-flowing and it's flowing down there still
The dry times just a story that they tell
And some of those who left they come back friends
To see the clouded sky and river bends
And reminisce about the days when sunshine wouldn't end
And those who stayed behind, they mostly wept
The fields turned green and all the people there rejoiced
Appreciate the good times while they can
If you stay in one place long enough you know that good times end
But ask those who stay behind, they come again
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14. |
Don't Leave
05:02
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On the killing fields of love
A no man’s land stretched out between our faces
Lines are scratched out on the ground
Our pistols drawn we turn at 30 paces
See the fences fly up from the ground suspended
From some chance released balloons
Send the armored cars for live negotiating
They dissolve when the tears fall down
Your fight or flight means nothing
So don’t leave
On the open seas of love
A whirlpool swirling ‘round, a raging maelstrom
There’s a harpoon in my side
It was conjured from the mouth she tells her tales from
Icebergs burst up from the surface overwhelming
Brings the cyclone to a halt
Lobbing cannonballs across our bows defending
But they dissolve when tears fall down
Your fight or flight means nothing
So don’t leave
Your fight or flight means nothing
No, don’t leave
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Bill Ludwig Manchester, Connecticut
The founding member of MARMO (marmoband.bandcamp.com)
But mostly just a guy who writes and
records songs... mostly so I have stuff to listen to in my car on the way to and from work.
Sometimes I sing to my chickens.
... more
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